PHR Originals: 10/14/19 – 10/20/19

Here is a quick glimpse at some of the original content produced by PHR this week, complete with the links to the full works by our authors:

The NHL season is now a few weeks old. Which team has had the most surprising start, good or bad? Gavin took a close look at some of the more shockingly strong starts – the Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, and Edmonton Oilers – as well as the head-scratching disappointments – the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks. Given the full 31 teams to select from, readers so far have leaned toward Buffalo and Edmonton, but the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins have also received their fair share of votes. What say you?

One of the more surprising storylines in the NHL continues to be the downfall of Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. The two-time Stanley Cup-winning keeper had a career-worst season last year and has somehow played even worse to begin this new campaign. Brian analyzed the conundrum that is Quick performance, contract, and fit with the Kings moving forward.

The college hockey season has also just gotten underway and I introduced a new regular column at PHR where I will look at the NCAA level more closely. Early season performances, both team and individual, a pair of notable commitments, and the draft stock of many college-bound players on the U.S. National Team Development Program highlighted the inaugural article.

As we continue our dive into a re-draft of the 2007 NHL Draft, Gavin broke down the readers’ selection of Justin Braun at No. 24 for the Calgary Flames, while also introducing the Vancouver Canucks as the next team up. So far, Ian Cole leads the way as the likely pick at No. 25.

Finally, it was another PHR Mailbag from Brian. This week he answered questions related to a number of issues, including a possible upgrade to the goaltending in San Jose, trade candidates in Minnesota and Buffalo, and the biggest surprises and disappointments so far.

Be sure to follow along with all of the originals produced by PHR each week for top-notch analysis on key issues around the hockey world.